Between Monday, October 21st and Friday, October 25th a group of researchers from the Research Laboratory for Digital Learning attended the Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT) International Convention in Las Vegas, Nevada. As one of the premier educational technology conferences in the world, every year, AECT gave the team an opportunity to share its research and network with other scholars. Throughout the week, the team presented in a total of five unique sessions and took time to attend other presentations and enjoy the city as well.
Early in the week, lab director Dr. Kui Xie played a prominent role in the conference, serving as both a panelist and a keynote speaker. First, he took part in a panel of experts discussing collaboration in the world of educational technology for the Division of Culture, Learning, and Technology. Next, on Wednesday he delivered an invited keynote speech to the Society of International Chinese in Educational Technology, where he shared many of the research projects undertaken by the lab over the last several years.
For the rest of the team, opportunities to share their research came on Thursday. First, Vanessa Vongkulluksn led a table talk in which she discussed factors related to the information literacy skills of students. Later in the day, Mike Nelson and Nathan Hawk presented in a concurrent session on how observations of technology in field experiences impacted the way prospective preservice teachers viewed their mentor teachers. Finally, Sheng-Bo Chen gave the team’s last presentation in a session on course design. In his talk, he emphasized the importance of course design in fostering student motivation in online learning.
Once the busy day ended, the team decided to explore Sin City on their final night. They indulged in a famous Las Vegas buffet at the Bellagio and took in the many sights on the Las Vegas strip before retreating back to the hotel after a very exhausting day. Overall, it was a successful trip that afforded members of the lab opportunities to share their research and enjoy each other’s company on the other side of the country.
